The right tie can make or break your outfit. Whether you’re pairing it with a suit or a simple dress shirt and khakis, a tie is a front-facing accessory that makes a statement about your style.
Choosing a style
Bowties can be perfect for formal events, but some men choose them for everyday wear to represent their quirkiness or aversion to traditional wear.
Skinny ties are also fashionable when done right. The key is to pair them with a narrow lapel on a jacket with only one or two buttons. Choose a shirt with a narrow or medium collar spread that doesn’t have a button-down collar. As a general rule, skinny ties look better on taller, thin men because they tend to make short, stocky men look even heavier. Opt for solids or stripes and leave the paisleys or polka dots to bowties or more traditional, wider ties.
For traditional ties, pick a width that closely matches that of your jacket’s lapel.
With traditional ties, they should hit the top of your belt buckle.
Choosing a fabric
Wool ties are totally acceptable when paired with heavier jackets, such as tweed. But for business suits, opt for a woven silk tie. (Screened silk can look cheap.)
Choosing a color
As a general rule, men with dark hair and a dark complexion can wear brighter ties, while men with fairer skin should choose a darker tie. If you have contrasting hair and skin, opt for a tie that contrasts your skin tone, not your hair.
Choosing a pattern
From traditional stripes to printed images of Superman, what’s on your tie can tell the people around you a lot about your personality and confidence.
Woven ties, whose wave texture makes up the pattern, are usually only found in solid colors. They are generally considered conservative and work well at more formal events.
Polka dot patterns reflect different styles, depending on the size of the circle. The smaller the dots, the more formal the tie. Larger dots can be fun for upbeat special occasions, but chosen at the wrong time, they can make you look like a clown (literally).
